ATLANTA -

Manheim said Thursday it is amid what’s close to a $100 million investment to further connect its digital and physical offerings to meet the needs of its clients.

As Manheim executives emphasized in a call Wednesday, the “digital transformation” of auction processes are not limited to sale day — there’s a lot that happens in the auction process beyond the buying and selling.

For instance, the company said in Thursday’s release this investment continues the auction redesign it began a few years back, where Manheim launched digital tools designed to cut back on paperwork and simplify dealer transactions.

The moves this year are designed “to connect all of Manheim’s auction processes for greater consistency and efficiencies, while positioning Manheim’s teams and services to work better for all client segments,” Manheim said in a news release.

“Our continued focus on process improvements will further drive Manheim’s commitment to make it easier for our clients to do business with us,” Manheim president Grace Huang said in a release. “While our investments in this area began prior to the pandemic, it’s been fulfilling to see the benefits they provide to enhancing our clients’ experience.”

While more initiatives are on the way, the auction company has already made a few moves to better connect the client experience, which are included in the aforementioned investment, along with future moves the company is making.

For example, Manheim has implemented a more streamlined arbitration solution, a project it started on before COVID-19 and finished installing in 2020.

The streamlined arbitration solution aims to keep Manheim staff connected to one another and to clients, through a blend of tech enhancements and digital tools.

Manheim has also invested in a cloud-based client response center, a move it says allows the company to more efficiently route calls and get them to the right person.

Meantime, Manheim added virtual block specialists in 2019 as offsite auction sales gained traction. And then COVID-19 underscored the need for these workers, as Manheim moved its 76 U.S. auctions to all-digital early on in the pandemic.

While Manheim is no longer all-digital, these specialists — which now includes nearly 200 employees — “went into high gear to continue serving clients” during the all-digital phase and continue to support Manheim’s Simulcast-only sales.

Another initiative the company has already rolled out is its Market Centers. These launched in 2019 as a means for field locations to share resources and support functions. Manheim has 24 of these centers.

“Throughout this year, we’ll be introducing even more initiatives that will offer added value to our clients, regardless of how they choose to do business,” Huang said in the release.

Patrick Brennan, Manheim senior vice president, Marketplace, said during Wednesday’s call that these investments the company has made are “continuous improvements,” and that it is not done making improvements in these areas.